Woodworking Machinery-Other Than Saws

Self-Inspection Checklist

Guidelines

This checklist covers regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) under the general industry standard 29 CFR 1910.213. It applies to the following: jointers; tenoning machines, boring and mortising machines; wood shapers and similar equipment; planing, molding, sticking, and matching machines; profile and swing-head lathes and wood-heel turning machines; sanding machines; veneer cutters and wringers; and miscellaneous woodworking machines. This checklist must be used in conjunction with the Woodworking Machinery General Requirements checklist. The regulations cited apply only to private employers and their employees, unless adopted by a State agency and applied to other groups such as public employees. A yes answer to a question indicates that this portion of the inspection complies with the OSHA or EPA standard, or with a nonregulatory recommendation.

1. Jointers

2. Is each hand-fed planer or jointer with a horizontal head equipped with a cylindrical cutting head? [29 CFR 1910.213(j)(1)]

   Note: The knife projection of the cylindrical cutting head cannot exceed 1/8 inch beyond the cylindrical body of the head.

3. Is the opening in the table kept as small as possible? [29 CFR 1910.213(j)(2)]

   Note: The clearance between the edge of the rear table and the cutting head shall be 1/8 inch or less. The table throat opening shall not be more than 1-1/2 inches when tables are set or aligned with each other for a zero cut.

4. Does each hand-fed jointer with a horizontal cutting head have an automatic guard that covers all sections of the head on the working side of the fence or gauge? [29 CFR 1910.213(j)(3)]

   Note: The guard must automatically adjust itself to cover the unused portion of the head and shall remain in contact with the material at all times.

5. Does each hand-fed jointer with a horizontal cutting head have a guard that covers the section of the head back to the gauge or fence? [29 CFR 1910.213(j)(4)]
6. Does each wood jointer with a vertical head have either an exhaust hood or other guard arranged so it completely encloses the revolving head, except for a slot wide enough for the material to be jointed? [29 CFR 1910.213(j)(5)]
7. Is the knife blade of jointers installed and adjusted so that it does not protrude more than 1/8 inch beyond the cylindrical body of the head? [29 CFR 1910.213(s)(12)]

   Tenoning Machines

8. Are feed chains and sprockets of double-end tenoning machines completely enclosed, except for the portion of chain used for conveying the stock? [29 CFR 1910.213(k)(1)]
9. Are sprockets and chains at the rear ends of frames guarded at the sides by plates projecting beyond the edges of sprockets and lugs? [29 CFR 1910.213(k)(2)]

10. If used on tenoning machines, are cutting heads and saws covered by metal guards? [29 CFR 1910.213(k)(3)]

    Note: The guards must cover at least the unused part of the periphery of the cutting head. If the guard is made of sheet metal, the material used must be at least 1/16 inch thick, and if it is cast iron, it must be at least 3/16 inch thick.

11. If an exhaust system is used on a tenoning machine, is the guard part of the exhaust hood? [29 CFR 1910.213(k)(4)]

    Boring and Mortising Machines

12. Are safety-bit chucks with projecting-set screws prohibited? [29 CFR 1910.213(l)(1)]
13. Are boring bits provided with a guard that encloses all portions of the bit and chuck above the material being worked? [29 CFR 1910.213(l)(2)]
14. Is the top of the cutting chain and driving mechanism enclosed? [29 CFR 1910.213(l)(3)]
15. When a counterweight is used, is one of the following (or equivalent means) used to prevent its dropping? [29 CFR 1910.213(l)(4)]
    1. It is bolted to the bar by a bolt passing through both bar and counterweight
    2. A bolt is put through the extreme end of the bar
    3. Where the counterweight does not encircle the bar, a safety chain is attached to it
    4. Other types of counterweights are suspended by chain or wire rope and shall travel in a pipe (or other suitable enclosure) if they might fall and cause injury.
16. Are universal joints on spindles of boring machines completely enclosed to prevent contact by the operator? [29 CFR 1910.213(l)(5)]
17. Is each operating treadle covered by an inverted U-shaped metal guard, fastened to the floor, and of adequate size to prevent tripping? [29 CFR 1910.213(l)(6)]

    Wood Shapers and Similar Equipment

18. Is the cutting head of each wood shaper or hand-fed panel raiser (or other similar machine that is not automatically fed) enclosed with a cage or adjustable guard designed to keep the operator's hand away from the cutting edge? [29 CFR 1910.213(m)(1)]
19. Planing, Molding, Sticking, and Matching Machines Is each planing, molding, sticking, and matching machine equipped with a metal guard covering the cutting heads? [29 CFR 1910.213(n)(1)]

20. When an exhaust system is used, does the guard form part of the exhaust hood? [29 CFR 1910.213(n)(2)]

    Note: If the guard is constructed of sheet metal, the material used shall be at least 1/16 inch thick, and if it is constructed of cast iron, it must be at least 3/16 inch thick.

21. Are feed rolls guarded by a hood or suitable guard to prevent the hands of the operator from contacting the in-running rolls? [29 CFR 1910.213(n)(3)]
22. Do the surfaces and planers (provided with the sectional infeed rolls) give sufficient feeding contact pressure on the stock thickness? [29 CFR 1910.213(n)(4)]
23. Profile and Swing-Head Lathes and Wood Heel Truning Machine Are the cutting heads of each profile and swing-head lathe covered by a metal guard? [29 CFR 1910.213(o)(1)]
24. Are cutting heads on wood-turning lathes covered as much as possible by hoods or shields? [29 CFR 1910.213(o)(2)]
25. Do the following have hoods enclosing the cutter blades completely? (except at the contact points where the stock is being cut): shoe last and spoke lathes, doweling machines, wood heel-turning machines, and other automatic wood-turning lathes of the rotating knife type. [29 CFR 1910.213(o)(3)]

26. Are lathes used for turning long pieces of wood stock held only between the two centers equipped with long, curved guards extending over the tops of the lathe? [29 CFR 1910.213(o)(4)]

    Note: This is to prevent the work pieces from being thrown out of the machine if they become loose.

27. When an exhaust system is used, does the guard form part or all of the exhaust hood? [29 CFR 1910.213(o)(5)]

    Note: If the guard is constructed of sheet metal, the material used must be at least 1/16 inch thick, and if it is constructed of cast iron, it must be at least 3/16 inch thick.

    Sanding Machines

28. Are the feed rolls of self-feeding sanding machines protected with a semicylindrical guard to prevent contact with the in-running rolls? [29 CFR 1910.213(p)(1)]
29. Does the bottom guard come to within 3/8 inch of a plane formed by the bottom or contact face of the feed roll where it touches the stock? [29 CFR 1910.213(p)(1)]
30. Is each drum-sanding machine equipped with an exhaust hood or other guard if no exhaust hood is required? [29 CFR 1910.213(p)(2)]
31. Does each disk-sanding machine enclose the revolving disk (except for the portion of the disk above the table if a table is used)? [29 CFR 1910.213(p)(3)]
32. Is each belt-sanding machine provided with guards at each nip point where the sanding belt runs onto a pulley? [29 CFR 1910.213(p)(4)]

    Veneer Cutting and Wringers

33. Are veneer-slicer knives guarded at the front and rear to prevent contact with the knife edge? [29 CFR 1910.213(q)(1)]
34. Do veneer clippers have automatic feeds, or are they provided with a guard that makes it impossible to place a finger or fingers under the knife while feeding or removing the stock? [29 CFR 1910.213(q)(2)]
35. Are sockets on chain or slat-belt conveyors enclosed? [29 CFR 1910.213(q)(3)]
36. Are hand and footpower guillotine veneer cutters provided with rods or plates or other satisfactory means, arranged on the feeding side so that the hands cannot reach the cutting edge of the knife while feeding or holding the stock in place? [29 CFR 1910.213(q)(4)]
37. Is the operator required to make sure that the machine is clear and that other people are not in a hazardous position before starting or restarting the machine? (for example, when veneer slicers or rotary veneer-cutting machines have been shut down to insert logs or to make adjustments) [29 CFR 1910.213(s)(13)]

38. Miscellaneous Woodworking Machinery Are the feed rolls of roll-type glue spreaders guarded by a semicylindrical guard? [29 CFR 1910.213(r)(1)]

    Note: The bottom of the guard shall come to within 3/8 inch of a plane formed by the bottom or contact face of the feed roll where it touches the stock.

39. Is each point of operation for combination or universal woodworking machines guarded as required for such a tool in a separate machine? [29 CFR 1910.213(r)(3)]